Children need plenty of practice with counting on to work out simple addition. The aim of this is to get them familiar with the numbers and after a while they will begin to be able to give answers without counting on: in other words they begin to know the answers. Knowing addition bonds up to 5 in year 1 is just as important as knowing tables becomes in later years. If children do not know that 3 + 2 is 5 without counting it will slow them down enormously and make working out 30 + 20 or 300 + 200 so much more difficult.

The pictures (including upside down teddies!) are still there to help but encourage your child to say the answer without counting on.